Updated ACE Code of Ethics (Guest Post)

By 2015 ESA Certification Board Director Dr. Laura Higgins, BCE

By unanimous vote yesterday, the Certification Board updated the ACE Code of Ethics which is binding on all ACEs and ACE aspirants. The Code of Ethics is seen as a living document and may change over time, though the intent will always be to ensure that ACEs and those who wish to become ACEs continue to be of the highest ethical caliber and represent the best in our industry.

For the most part, the recent changes to the Code of Ethics were cosmetic and merely served to simplify and clarify the language. For example, in the previous version of the Code, every time the ACE was referred to, it was listed as "Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest Control," a cumbersome structure to be sure. In the new version, that has been simplified to "ACE" in 25 different instances.

The most substantive changes came to Sections 3.4, which was a relatively new addition to the Code, having been added only in November 2013, as discussed here. Whereas the previous version of this Section only dealt with the ways that an ACE refers to themselves, this latest update adds a burden on the ACE to report back to ESA any misuse of the terms entomologist or certified entomologist.

It is the belief of the ESA Certification Board that only by obtaining a degree in entomology (whether a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate) can one become an entomologist. The ACE is the only legitimate path currently in existence for an individual to become an Associate Certified Entomologist.

Any pest management professional who claims to be a "Certified Entomologist" but (a) does not have a degree in the science, or (b) is not certified as an ACE or a BCE is not recognized as a certified entomologist in the eyes of the ESA Certification Board.

This is not a change from past practices, actions, nor beliefs of the Certification Board, it is merely a codification of long-standing policy of the Board.

To review the current ACE Code of Ethics, please click here.

The specific changes to the Code are detailed below with additions indicated in blue and deletions noted by strike-through:

Preamble: The profession of entomology is increasingly important to the welfare and progress of human society. Associate Certified Entomologists-Pest Control (ACE)s have the position and authority to render effective service to humanity, in keeping with high standards of ethical conduct. In order that the honor and dignity of the profession be advanced and maintained, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) has established the following code to define the professional conduct and ethics, binding on Associate Certified Entomologists-Pest ControlACEs.
1.1: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest Control'sACE’s knowledge and skills will be used for the betterment of human welfare.
1.2: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will share in sustaining the laws, institutions, and burdens of the community.
2.1: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will have proper regard for the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of all of his or her professional duties – ensuring proper regard for the safety, health, and welfare of the public and environment; documenting findings as appropriate and required; and keeping all stakeholders informed of the process.
2.2: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will be honest and impartial, and will preface any one-sided statements, criticisms, or arguments by clearly indicating on whose behalf they are made.
2.3: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will express an opinion on an entomological subject only when it is founded on adequate knowledge and honest conviction,; and will be factual in all estimates, reports, and testimoniesy.
3.1: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will strive to advance the science and art of entomology, to guard and uphold its high standard of honor, and to conform with to the principles of professional conduct.
3.2: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will cooperate in edifying the profession by exchanging information with fellow entomologists, and by contributing to the work of technical societies and the technical press, where disclosure of such information does not conflict with the interests of clients and employers.
3.3: The ACE will strive to promote the public’s awareness and perception of pest management, pest management professionals, and all facets of the pest management business, taking special care of his/her responsibilities as an ACE to defend the honor and prestige of the entomological aspects of the pest management profession that are encapsulated by the ACE program.The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest Control will defend the prestige of the entomology and pest control professions and will report to the Entomological Society of America any persons or organizations using the words entomologist, entomology, or derivatives thereof in a manner implying performance or supervision by a Board Certified Entomologist, or by an Associate Certified Entomologist, when such is not true.
3.4: The ACE, when referring to the certification granted by the ESA, shall always use the full title of Associate Certified Entomologist or ACE, rather than abbreviating to Certified Entomologist or only Entomologist. The ACE will seek to inform others of the prestige of entomology and will immediately report to the ESA any misuse or misrepresentation of the terms entomology, entomologist, Associate Certified Entomologist, Board Certified Entomologist, or derivatives thereof. The Associate Certified Entomologist – Pest Control, when referring to the certification granted by the Entomological Society of America, shall always use the full title of Associate Certified Entomologist or ACE, rather than abbreviating to certified entomologist or only entomologist.
4.1: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will act as a faithful agent or trustee for each employer or client, and will not knowingly engage in illegal work or unethical practice, or knowingly cooperate with any person so engaged.
4.2: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will undertake only those entomological assignments for which he or she is qualified. The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will obtain, or advise the employer or client to obtain, the assistance of specialists whenever the employer's or client's interests are so served best, and will cooperate with such specialists.
4.3: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will indicate to the employer or client alternatives to recommended courses of action and the expected consequences of each recommended action and alternative.
4.4: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will inform the employer or client of any financial interest, or other conflicting interest, he or she has in any person, material, device, or concept which is or might become involved in a project or work for the employer or client. Decisions regarding entomological or business services to be performed shall not be influenced by such interests.
4.5: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will act fairly and justly toward vendors and contractors, selecting their products and services on the basis of merit and value.
4.6: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will not disclose information concerning the business affairs or technical processes of present or former employers or clients without their consent.
4.7: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one party for the same service, or for other services pertaining to the same work, without the consent of all interested parties.
5.1: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will give credit for pest management and entomological work or advice to whom it is due.
5.2: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will promote solidarity and harmony with fellow pest management professionals, respect their judgment, and support them collectively and individually whenever possible against unjust claims and accusations.
5.3: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will not accept any engagement to review the professional work of a fellow pest management professional (except in litigation and editing of technical or scientific papers) without the knowledge of such person, unless the person’s connection with the work has been terminated.
5.4: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will not injure intentionally the professional reputation, prospects, or practice of another pest management professional. However, proof that another ACECertified Entomologist has done anything unethical, illegal, or unfair in a professional capacity, should be communicated to the Entomological Society of AmericaESA as soon as possible.
5.5: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE will provide a prospective pest management employee with complete information on working conditions and the proposed status of employment and during employment will keep the employee informed of any changes therein.
5.6: The Associate Certified Entomologist-Pest ControlACE who employs or supervises other pest management professionals will endeavor to encourage and provide opportunities for their professional development and advancement.

Certification Corporation Bylaws Updated

Bylaws are the guiding rules by which an organization operates. They define the how, what, and why of operations. As such, they should be well-thought out from the very beginning and adjusted only when necessary.

This is one of those times.

The ESA Certification Corporation arose out of the ESA and many of the Bylaws were adapted from current ESA rules and practices. As (a) the ACE program has continued to grow and thrive, and (b) additional stability was required for proper board management, it became apparent that a Bylaws adjustment was necessary in order to allow proper representation on the Certification Board.

Effective immediately, the following changes to the composition and structure of the Certification Board have taken place via an update to the ESA Certification Corporation Bylaws (See Article VII, Section 2):

• An ACE Representative position has been created,
• Terms of office are moving from one year to three years (see note below),
• New rules are in place for appointment of candidates if none arise through the normal elections process, and
• The two Ad Hoc positions have been clarified.

The 2015 officers of the Society are going to be elected in just a few weeks. Any candidates for the open seats should step forward soon and apply by COB on June 13th. Please visit the ESA Elections and Nominations page to nominate yourself or someone else for a seat on the Certification Board.

Staggered terms off office:
The positions on the board will be staggered so that approximately one third of all candidates rotate off each year. In order to achieve this, ESA is going to stagger the implementation of the three year terms.  For the 2015 positions (that would be elected in the summer of 2014), the Southeastern and North Central Branch representative positions will be elected to three year terms. The ACE position will be selected by a vote of all ACEs. All other positions are still for one year terms. The following year the Eastern and Southwestern Branches will elect to three year terms. The Governing Board will also appoint one of the Ad Hoc positions to a three year term. And then, completing the implementation, the 2017 officers will be selected for three-year terms in the summer of 2016. These would be the appointment of the second Ad Hoc position and the election of the International and Pacific Branch representatives.

ACE position:
The ACE representative does not need to be an ESA member to compete for the position. During the election all current ACEs will have the opportunity to vote for their representative.

Certification Board Actions

On May 13, 2014 the ESA Certification Board (CB) held its second quarter meeting via teleconference. In anticipation of launching the ACE-International program later this fall, the CB made several decisions which will also modify the domestic ACE program. The goal is to have the two programs be as similar as possible with as little stratification as required. Two decisions that affect the ACE program -- both of which will take effect on October 1, 2014 -- are:

1) Modify the application requirements to require submission of two letters of professional reference. Currently the program only requires the applicant to list one professional colleague who would be able to vouch for the candidate's professionalism. This new requirement mirrors the BCE requirement for submission of two letters.

2) Modify the application requirements to adjust the years of experience required. Currently the ACE program requires seven years of professional experience in structural pest management -- a number that was derived arbitrarily at the program's inception. Two panels of subject matter experts reviewed the decision and felt that the point at which a professional was able to acquire the minimum amount of experience to competently perform their duties up to the ACE standard would be closer to five years.

This latter decision is in keeping with the rules of certification. According to Jerald Jacobs in the Association Law Handbook, "The best way to maximize validity is to have an open process by which all affected constituencies may participate … a broad base of participation and input will help ensure that the requirements do not unfairly bias or discriminate against any eligible professionals and accurately measure competency… The criteria, standards, or principles should be no more stringent than necessary to ensure the levels of competency or quality that the program aims to measure have been achieved by the candidates."

In other words, the rule for setting the requirement is to find the point at which the minimum is met, not the maximum.

Said another way by Mickie Rops, CAE (who also served as ESA's Certification Consultant during the program review in April 2012), "It is important that eligibility requirements are linked to the actual needs of the role being certified, not randomly chosen; this concept is often called job-relatedness. It is sometimes tempting for a certification committee to drift towards wanting to recognize excellence rather than competence in a role, and for the eligibility requirements to become unnecessarily high. Requirements should be reasonable and reflect the need-to-have, not the nice-to-have."

Both of these rules will be implemented with an effective date of October 1, 2014.

ACE fees explained

We've had some questions come in to ESA about how the new fees for ACE work (see Questions #7 and 8 on this post). Here is my attempt to explain the process as succinctly as possible.

The old system (which went away on January 1, 2014) required an application fee and then --upon passing their exam-- most people had to renew their ACE again right away. The new structure flips that on its head and now most people will remain ACE certified and not need to worry about renewing their certification for several years after they pass the exam.  Overall the fees remain about the same for most people, so this change is not a fee increase -- it is a restructuring.

ACE application and renewal date rules:

1. All applicants must take their exam within 1 year of the application's acceptance
2. If unsuccessful, the applicant must wait at least 3 months but not more than 1 year from their earlier attempt
3. All applicants must ultimately pass the ACE exam within 3 years of application acceptance or the application will expire
1. If the application is accepted in the first half of the year it will expire on December 31st, two years hence
2. If the application is accepted in the second half of the year it will expire on December 31st, three years hence
4. Once an applicant passes the exam they are ACE certified until the end of the initial 3-year term.
5. When it is time to renew the ACE certification, the renewal term is for 3 calendar years.

Everything that ESA does is based on the calendar year, however, which complicates this model a little bit. Applications accepted in Jan-June will be a little less than 3 years and applications accepted July-December will be a little longer than 3-years in terms of their ACE certification when they pass. Here are some examples of how this plays out:

(a) Example #1 - John's application is accepted on 2/1/2014 and he tests and passes his ACE on 9/1/2014. His application lifespan is from 2/1/2014 and he will remain ACE certified until the end of the 3-year term (12/31/2016) which is a few months short of the 3-year period.

(b) Example #2 - Jane's application is accepted on 8/1/2014 and she tests/passes later that month. Her application lifespan is from 8/1/2014 and she will remain ACE certified until 12/31/2017 (since she applied in the second half of the year). Her application lifespan is thus a little longer than 3 years.

Guest Post: Forrest St. Aubin, BCE (Emeritus) -- Recent Change to the ACE Code of Ethics

The ACE Code of Ethics is the guiding document for all who attain the ACE certification. As such, it is important that all ACEs are aware of a new change that was approved by the ESA Certification Board during the November 2013 board meeting.

The board has discussed the term "Entomologist" in the past. Indeed, it has been a topic on this blog. The ACE was never intended as a way to make a person an entomologist.

To reiterate, passing the Associated Certified Entomologist test and then maintaining the certification does not constitute the creation of an entomologist. Rather, what it does is announces to the world that one has gained advanced entomological knowledge critical to the pest management industry. No inference should be made toward the achievement of college-ordained degree/s.

Taken directly from my notes during the second certification board meeting on November 10, 2013 is the following:

“An Associate Certified Entomologist is not a degreed entomologist.  He/she is not to declare themselves as such.  They are pest management professionals with advanced entomological experience gained through their work.  That experience is thus recognized” through the ACE accreditation but is not to be construed as college-gained training.

Section 3.4 was added to the ACE Code of Ethics as a result of this board discussion and is now binding on all ACEs. A snip of the Code is below and the full document can be found here.

The Certification Board Director, Pat Copps (Orkin) articulated this change most eloquently. “To me the new code merely codifies what was always the intent of the ACE program; that it is a certification for the pest control industry and not a degree.”

If anyone has any comments on this, please feel free to reach out to me. I am heartened to see so many of my fellow professionals attaining this certification. It is very good for the industry.

Forrest St. Aubin, BCE-Emeritus

Chair, ACE Support Committee (Entomological Society of America)

forrest@saintaubinbce.com

ACE changes - Action needed

An open letter to all ACEs,

This note was emailed to all ACEs on December 12, 2013. If you did not get it, please contact ESA and update your email address.

As you have likely heard, there is a lot changing about the ACE-Pest Control program. As a current ACE, you may have been wondering how this affects you. This letter (and this blog post) should answer some of those questions.

Volunteer opportunity: As we prepare to launch the new ACE exam on January 1st, we need 50-100 current ACEs to voluntarily (and at no fee) take the new ACE exam in the next two weeks. This will allow us to test for proper exam question flow, perform final “level of difficulty” assessments, and look for any other last minute and minor problems.  If you are willing to take the new exam, please contact ESA’s Certification Director (Chris Stelzig) at cstelzig@entsoc.org. Update 1/9/2014: This volunteer opportunity ended on December 31, 2013. If you would like to volunteer for other ACE-ESA ventures, please contact cstelzig@entsoc.org.

There are basically two changes that affect you – a new content outline and a new renewal structure.

New Content Outline:
The new content outline for ACE will debut on January 1, 2014. A copy of the new outline is onlinehere. As an ACE it is your obligation to stay current on industry developments. As such, you will need to read and review the new content outline. You will not be required to retest on the new standards, but you will be asked to affirm that you have read and understand them. This will be true of anyone who passes their ACE exam any time prior to January 1, 2014. Once you have read the new content outline, please either:

• Email this note back to ace@entocert.org with your name filled in below.
  I (__________________) do hereby affirm that I have read and understand the new ACE Content Outline that will debut on 1/1/2014.) , or
• Print this email and send it back to us at ESA; 3 Park Place, #307; Annapolis, MD 21401

New Renewal Structure:
If you have not renewed already for 2014 a renewal form was mailed earlier this week to you (It is the same form you can find online here). You will see that you have two options when you renew 1- year or 3-years:

1. You can renew for just 2014 by submitting:
     a. A photocopy of your applicator’s license,
     b. Signing the ACE Code of Ethics, and
     c. Submitting the form with payment.
2. You can renew for 2014-2016 by submitting:
     a. Documentation of at least 18 CEUs earned during 2011-2013),
     b. A photocopy of your applicator’s license,
     c. Signing the ACE Code of Ethics, and
     d. Submitting the form with payment.

Further, you will need to choose to renew as a member or a non-ESA member. Please know that ESA membership is different from ACE certification.

If you have any questions about this process, please email us back at ace@entocert.org. We’ll start mailing ACE wallet cards in early January for those who are renewed. 

How do the ACE changes affect current ACEs?

We've been talking for a bit about the changes coming to the ACE program. And we've talked a little bit about how these changes affect current ACE applicants.

This post discusses how the coming changes affect current ACEs.

As a short recap, these are the primary and recent improvements to ACE:

1) New content outline
2) 3-year renewal structure
3) 3-year application
4) CEUs required with renewal
5) Retired ACE option for those who have been an ACE for at least 7 years

Knowledge:
All ACEs should familiarize themselves with the new content outline. In truth it is not dramatically different from the old content, it is just presented in a different and more logical structure. The content will quite likely evolve over time even further, so ACEs must stay aware and conscious of the changes that occur. This is why the addition of CEUs to renewal is so important. It will require ACEs to continue to further their education.

Being an ACE is more than just passing a test. It is an affirmation that you are a professional associate certified entomologist who is dedicated to furthering their knowledge of urban entomology.

You will not need to retest on the new content, but we do insist that you review it (**see the new content outline here **) and understand it. Part of being an ACE is staying current. At some point in the near future you may be asked to sign a notice that you have read and understand the new content outline.

Renewing:
Starting on January 1, 2015 all ACEs will be required to renew with documentation of continuing education (or CEUs). This will not be very different from what you have to turn in to recertify with your state regulators. In fact, ESA gives credit for many activities that further your knowledge most states do not acknowledge (e.g., we grant up to 2 hours per year for reading industry-related publications like PCT, Pest Management Professional, or International Pest Control). ACEs will need to submit an average of 6 CEUs per year for a 3-year period. Those who have good records from 2011-2013 can renew now for the 3-year period. Just use this form.

If you don't have good documentation from the past couple of years, then (a) start saving it for future years, and (b) renew just for 2014. Use the same form as the 3-year option.

Bear in mind that this is a requirement going forward. All ACEs will renew for 3 year period starting on January 1st, 2015. 2014 is a phase-in year.

You do not need to submit back-up documentation with your CEUs at this time. We'll randomly select a percentage of the renewals for audit and you might need back-up at that time, but not initially.

Q&A about the new ACE exam

We're just over a month away from the launch of the new ACE exam. Here at ESA HQ we are getting near daily inquiries about the exam. The new items have been written and are being input to the testing software now in preparation for the debut of the new test on January 1st. Below you'll find answers to some of the more common questions we're hearing about the new exam and structure. If you have other questions, please direct them to ace@entocert.org.

Q1 - Who came up with the new exam questions?
A committee of subject matter experts (SME) have spent much of the past year editing existing questions, writing new questions, and then editing and editing and editing them until they are fair and representative. The SMEs are all BCEs and come from across the United States so the knowledge pool is not regionally biased.

Q2 - Will the new exam be harder?
That is not the intent. The goal of the new exam (as it was with the old exam) is to make it representative of the subject matter being tested. The average score on the old exam is currently about 74%. Our goal would be to have a similar pass rate on the new exam.

Q3 - Will there be rodent (and other non-arthropod) questions on the new exam?
Yes -- some. Animals can often harbor insects and other arthropods and carry them into the home or other urban structure. As such, to control the arthropods you need to know how to control the non-arthropods. However the main thrust of the exam is entomology and a passing score earns you the title of Associate Certified Entomologist. Our SMEs are experts in entomology and while some may also have substantial non-arthropod knowledge, that is not what we are testing or certifying.

Q4 - What should I be studying in order to take and pass the new exam?
A list of suggested study materials remains on the ESA website and is mostly unchanged from what you should have been studying for the old exam (click here to see the suggested study materials).

Of the recommended materials, the two books that many students have been finding to be of great help are these two (both of which can be purchased through the link above):
(a) The Handbook of Household and Structural Insect Pests
(b) General Household Pest Control

The new exam is just four main topics to study. They are:
(a) Inspection and Identification (45% of the exam)
(b) Monitoring (12% of the exam)
(c) Selection and Implementation of Control Methods (28% of the exam)
(d) Evaluation (15% of the exam)

Q5 - Is there a study guide?
A new study guide is being written now. A publishing date is not yet available.

Q6 - If I'm already an ACE, do I need to take the new exam in order to stay current?
No, but you will be required to watch a free webinar to ensure that all ACEs (existing and new) understand the concepts covered in the content outline. The webinar is being devised now and details will be published as soon as they are available.
The answer to this question changed from how it was originally posted. Current ACEs will not need to watch a webinar. They will, however, be required to review the new content outline and affirm with ESA that they have done so. See this post to learn how to do this if you became an ACE before 12.31.2013.

Q7 - Did the fees go up?
No. The structure of the application did change, however. Starting on January 1 all applications have a 3-year lifespan. The application fee is $395 for non-ESA members (ESA members save $40 -- their fee is $355). Once a person takes and passes the exam, however, they are ACE certified until the end of the initial 3-year term. ESA operates on a calendar year basis so some "rounding" will be involved with some initial terms lasting a little longer than 3 years and some lasting a little less than 3 years. Applications accepted in Jan-June will be a little less than 3 years and applications accepted July-December will be a little longer than 3-years in terms of their ACE certification when they pass.

(a) Example #1 - John's application is accepted on 2/1/2014 and he tests and passes his ACE on 9/1/2014. His application lifespan is from 2/1/2014 and he will remain ACE certified until the end of the 3-year term (12/31/2016) which is a few months short of the 3-year period.

(b) Example #2 - Jane's application is accepted on 8/1/2014 and she tests/passes later that month. Her application lifespan is from 8/1/2014 and she will remain ACE certified until 12/31/2017 (since she applied in the second half of the year). Her application lifespan is thus a little longer than 3 years.

Q8 - I still don't get it. Can you tell me more about this new "lifespan" for my application?
You will have up to 3 years to pass your exam once your application is approved. The VAST majority of all ACE applicants pass their exam in FAR less than this amount of time. This change arose because the SMEs felt that the application process should not be indefinite, but that we also did not want to force the process too fast.

The timeline rules are these:
(a) All applicants must take their exam within 1 year of the application's acceptance
(b) If unsuccessful, the applicant must wait at least 3 months but not more than 1 year from their earlier attempt
(c) All applicants must ultimately pass the ACE exam within 3 years of application acceptance or the application will expire
(c1) If your application is accepted in the first half of the year it will expire on December 31st, two years hence
(c2) If your application is accepted in the second half of the year it will expire on December 31st, three years hence

New ACE exam content outline dissected: I&I - (Part 1 of 4)

Anyone who has been paying attention should know by now that the ACE exam is undergoing some improvements and the content outline is being updated. So far we've discussed (a) how the changes affect applicants, (b) what is a content outline, and (c) how to study for the new exam.

I thought it might be appropriate to dig in a bit on how the content outline is built.

There are 4 Knowledge Domains on the new exam. The first is Inspection and Identification which will make up 45% of the questions on the exam.

Under the I&I Domain there are four skills that a person should be able to perform if they are to become an ACE. Those are:

• Inspect for evidence of pests
• Inspect for conditions conducive to pests
• Identify pests
• Document and communicate findings of pest inspection and identification

Analyzed further for each skill ...

Inspect for evidence of pests - In order to perform this skill, a person would need this knowledge:

• Tools available for inspection and appropriate uses  (e.g., flashlight, moisture meter, flushing agents)
• Probable locations of pests
• Types of evidence of pest presence (e.g., damage caused, egg types, frass)
• Safety precautions (e.g., equipment, personnel)

Inspect for conditions conducive to pests - In order to perform this skill, a person would need this knowledge:

• Tools available for inspection and appropriate uses  (e.g., flashlight, moisture meter, flushing agents)
• Conditions conducive to pests (e.g., site, weather, ambient conditions)
• Safety precautions (e.g., equipment, personnel)

Identify pests - In order to perform this skill, a person would need this knowledge:

• Taxonomy and classification
• Morphology
• Biology (basic physiology, behavior, habitat, life cycle, reproduction potential)
• Damage caused

Document and communicate findings of pest inspection and identification - In order to perform this skill, a person would need this knowledge:

• How to explain pest thresholds and respond to customer expectations
• Use, limitations and types of pest thresholds
• What to document
• How to document
• Where to document
• To whom to communicate findings
• Adherence to ACE Code of Ethics